Fluid pumping and stirring apparatus



April 20, 1965 A. ANDERSON 3,179,384

FLUID PUMPING AND STIRRING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1962 2 sheets-snee*b 1 FIC-7.1

April 20, 1965 A. ANDERSON 3,179,384

FLUID PUMPING AND STIRRING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,179,384 FLUlD PUMPING AND STIRRING APPARATUS Axel Anderson, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Sundstrand Corporation, a corporation of Illinois FiledJan. 2, 1962,-Ser.No. 163,732 2 Claims. (Cl. 259-96) This invention relates to fluid handling, and more particularly to a fluid handling apparatus.

A primary object ofthis invention is to ,provide a new and improved r:duid Ahandling apparatus. p

Another object is to provide a new and improved apparatus for stirring a body of fluid and discharging a portion of the liuid from the body of fluid.

A further object vis provision of a new and improved fluid handling `apparatus including means for holding Va body of iiuid, and means operatively associated with the discharging within the body of fluid a portion of the pumped uid for eifectively stirring the body of fluid and concurrently discharging from said body of fluid another portion of the pumped iiuid.V

A more specific object is provision of new improved iluidl handling apparatus in the form of an immersion type centrifugal pump having a pumping chamber and a cooperating rotating impeller having generally radially extending blades in the chamber, the pump having an inlet adapted to be immersed in a body of fluid and an outlet communicating Awith the chamber for discharging a portion of the fluid from the body" of uid, a part of the pumpAhaving-an outer side and on opposite inner sides deining a wall of the chamber generally parallel to and facing the blades with a series of passages in the part opening through these sides, the passages being inclined generally in the direction of rotation of the impeller adjacent the respective passage and toward the outer side of the part for directing high velocity jets offluid in a pattern toward the bottom and sides of a container to produce rotary turbulence and effective 'stirringof the body of fluid.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with parts broken away for clearer illustration;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, or FIGURE 3 but to the same scale; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown 'in the drawing and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The lscope of the invention will be pointed out out in the appended claims. Y

The invention is, in brief, directed to an apparatus for stirring fluids such as liquids to mix the liquid with particles and discharging a portion of the mixed fluid. A body of fluid is pumped and divided into a first portion which is discharged from the body of uid and another portion which is discharged Within the body `of uid in a manner for effectively stirring the body of Huid. The apparatus has an inlet within a body of fluid and a pumping chamber in which part of the body of iluid is divided into a lirst portion which is discharged from the body of uid and another portion which is discharged within the body of iuidso as to provide turbulence for effectively stirring the body of uid.

Virst means for pumping part of the body of lluid andV n 3,179,384 Patented Apr. 20, 1965 lCe Vfluid has a relatively highvelocity and is divided into a portion which passes Vthrough pump outlet means in the form of a discharge passage 16 communicating with chamber 15 and a discharge ports17 from which this portion of lluid is discharged from the body of liuid 11 `and container 10. Another portion of fluid passing through pump chamber 1-5v is diverted from the part discharged through the outlet and is recircul-ated through passages 18 and projected directly into abody of uid 11 and toward the bottom 19 of the container for e'tfectively stirring the body of fluid 11. v

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the drawings, pump 12 is an immersion type .centrifugal pump having a housing 25 and within an `upper end of this housing `is a motor (not shown) for rotatably driving an impeller shaft 26 and an associated impeller .27 received in chamber `15 and mountedin housing 25 for rotation about an axis indicated by reference numeral 28. Impeller 27 has a cylindrical body `por- -tion 30 concentric with axis 28 and including acentered depending boss 31. `Suitable impeller blades 32 extend generally radially outwardly fromV boss 31 and depend from body 30. Impeller 27 is driven in one direction duringpumping operation, and as indicated bythe arrow in FIGURE 2, more particularly in a Counterclockwise direction. A i

Passages 18 and inlet 14 are formed in an end cover lpart or plate 35 of housing 25. Part 35 `has an outer side 36 generally parallel to and spaced from the container bottom `1 9, with depending :legs 37 facing the container bottom. l An inner face 38 of part 35 is immediately adjacent and generally parallel to the series of impeller bladesi32. Passages 18 dene jet nozzles for projecting fluid from chamber 15 directly into the body of iluid 11 at container bottom 19. This projected liuid has a high velocity and engages the bottom and sides of the cylindrical container to move in a revolving whirl-like direction with a component of movement away from part 35 and towardbottom 19. More particularly, passages 18 are each inclined downwardly toward the outer side 36 of part 35 and container bottom 19 and in the direction of rotation of impeller 27 adjacent each passage 18 to create turbulence in the body of fluid11, both in a horizontal direction caused by the revolving movement of jets of fluid and in a vertical direction caused by an axial component of movement of the jet toward and against container bottom 19 from which the turbulent flow of fluid is upwardly.

In order to provide even mixing of a uid within container 11, the container `bottom 19 is preferably circular with axis 28 intersecting the center of bottom 19. AS illustrated in FIGUREI, container 10 is in the form of an open topped cylindrical tank having a closure 40 which receives a ilange 41 of pump housing 25 to support the pump with its lower end extending through an opening 42 in cover 40.

In operation of the fluid handling apparatus the impeller 27 is rotated by its motor for pumping part of the body of uid 11 through inlet 14 and into pumping 3 high velocity jets moving in a path for effectively stirring the body of uid 11, as previously described.

In addition to the turbulence imparted to the body of fluid 11 by the jets of fluid projected from passages 18, additional turbulence .and stirring is provided as the iluid enters inlet port 14 in the center of cover part 35. Thus the pump inlet cooperates with jet passages 18 to provide effective stirring of the body of uid.

The apparatus is particularly useful in forming a mixture or suspension of particles in a liquid, and by concurrent stirring and. delivery of the suspension, a more nearly perfect suspension or mixture may be obtained than if each operation is carried on individually, particularly since the inlet means 14 are located at the general area of maximum stirring and intermixing of the ingredients in container 10. The illustrated embodiment of the invention has been found to mix particles and liquids -about to l5 times faster than available mechanical-agitators.

I claim: t

l. Fluid handling apparatus comprising: a container Vhaving `a generally cylindrical Wall for holding a fluid, said container having a generally circular bottom, an immersion type centrifugal pump having a pumping chamber and anV impeller in said chamber, said impeller being mounted for rotation about an axis generally ynormalV to the center of said bottom, and said impeller having bladesV extending generally radially about said axis,

said pump having inlet means at the bottom of said l chamber communicating with said chamber for the passage of said fluid from `said container into said chamber and outlet means communicatingjwith said chamber for discharging a portion of said fluid from said container, means for rotating' said impeller in one direction about said axis to pump saiduid through said chamber; a cover plate having a side facing said bottom and an opposite vside defining a Wall of said chamber generally parallel to and facing said blades, said plate having a series of passages, said series'being generally concentric about said axis and opening through said plate, said passages being similarly inclined generally in the direction of rotation of the impeller adjacent the respective passage and toward said container bottom for directing high velocity jets of fluid from said chamber in a direction angling toward said bottom and container Wall for producing rotary turbulence and effective stirring of the body of fluid.

2. Fluid handling apparatus comprising: a container for holding a iluid and having a bottom, an immersion type centrifugal pump having a pumping chamber and `an impeller in said chamber, Vsaid impeller being mounted for rotationabout an axis generally normal to said bottom, and said impeller having blades extending generally radially about said axis, said pump having inlet means at the bottom of said chamber communicating with said chamber for the passage of said fluid from said container into `said chamber and outlet means communicating with said chamber for discharging a portion of said uid from said container, means for rotating said impeller in one direction about said axis to pump saidiiuid through said chamber; a cover plate having a side facing said bottom and an opposite side defining a wall of said chamber Vgenerally parallel to and facing `said blades, said plate having a series of passages, said series being generally concentric about said axis and opening through said plate, said passages being similarly inclined generally in the direction of rotation of the impeller adjacent the respective passage and toward said container bottom for directing high velocity jets of fluid from said chamber in a direction-'angling downwardly but away from said bottom for producing revolving movement of the body of fluid, and said plate having a central opening defining said inlet means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES' PATENTS CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Examiner.

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1. FLUID HANDLING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A CONTAINER HAVING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL WALL FOR HOLDING A FLUID, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR BOTTOM, AN IMMERSION TYPE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP HAVING A PUMPING CHAMBER AND AN IMPELLER IN SAID CHAMBER, SAID IMPELLER BEING MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE CENTER OF SAID BOTTOM, AND SAID IMPELLER HAVING BLADES EXTENDING GENERALLY RADIALLY ABOUT SAID AXIS, SAID PUMP HAVING INLET MEANS AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER FOR THE PASSAGE OF SAID FLUID FROM SAID CONTAINER INTO SAID CHAMBER AND OUTLET MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHAMBER FOR DISCHARGING A PORTION OF SAID FLUID FROM SAID CONTAINER, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID IMPELLER IN ONE DIRECTION ABOUT SAID AXIS TO PUMP SAID FLUID THROUGH SAID CHAMBER; A COVER PLATE HAVING A SIDE FACING SAID BOTTOM AND AN OPPOSITE SIDE DEFINING A WALL OF SAID CHAMBER GENERALLY PARALLEL 